Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
In the past few years, Pocahontas County has become somewhat famous for its many trails. They’ve always been here, in some form and shape, but thanks to lots of effort by local organizations, they have grown to include a series of mountain biking, hiking and walking trails for everyone – from beginner to expert.
One of the newest trails on the map is the Overlook Trail, a short 3/4-mile trail that begins on Fourth Avenue in Marlinton, and winds up and around to the hill across from Mitchell Chevrolet.
The land is owned by the Town of Marlinton and after several discussions about what could be done there, it was decided to turn the natural deer trails into something more substantial for locals and visitors to enjoy.
“There was so much trail building in the county – discussions and otherwise – some being worked on, some in planning stages,” Marlinton Mayor Sam Felton said. “With some of my trips to the Greenbrier Hill water tank and discovering that it was all town property, I just thought, ‘hey, here’s a possibility.’”
Once the town received grant funding for the project, Felton said Ethan Burgess was contracted to build the trail and the observation deck and a bench at the top of the hill.
“He does a lot of that type of work for the forest service and was very familiar with trail building,” Felton said. “This is more than just a bike trail. It’s a fairly decent walking trail. There are some steep sections to it, but it accommodates walkers, maybe better than it does bikers, actually.”
The crown jewel of the trail is the overlook itself. From the observation deck, visitors can see nearly all of downtown Marlinton. All the way to the left is the Pocahontas County Courthouse, and to the right, down Main Street, across the bridge to the Little General and on up Rt. 219 to Burns Motor Freight.
The trail is open to all visitors and is ready to be part of your exploration of Marlinton. All it needs is some signage, so if you’re not familiar with the area, it might be best to stop by the town office on Second Avenue to get directions.
“We’re just lacking some signage,” Felton said.
To access the trail, turn onto Fourth Avenue from Main Street/Rt. 39 and continue driving until you come to a dirt road off the right side of the road.
Near the road is a sign designating the Overlook Trail. No vehicles are allowed on the road.
